Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is intrigued by the possibility of batting McCutchen second in the lineup. "On the upside, it gets him to the plate 20, 30 more times per season," Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "He hasn't driven in 100 runs in the third spot. Does this alignment help?"

EDGE Analysis

The center fielder, who has hit homers in consecutive games, is in favor of the idea if it means he comes to the plate more frequently with runners on base. "There were a lot of times I went to the plate like, 'Dang, two outs again?'" McCutchen noted. He had more at-bats with two outs and nobody on base more than any other Pirate, coming to the plate 158 times in that situation -- Gregory Polanco (83) ranked a distant second on the team. Perhaps more importantly, McCutchen says he's healthy after battling a knee injury in 2015. "I've got my power back. Got my legs back," he said. "It's just about using them now."

McCutchen stroked his first dinger of spring training Friday, giving him two hits in 13 Grapefruit League at-bats.

EDGE Analysis

The homer is a positive sign, considering he's a slow starter and didn't go deep in 32 spring training at-bats last year. Pittsburgh has lost two of its lefthanded power threats in Pedro Alvarez and the switch-hitting Neil Walker, making it possible McCutchen will see less pitches to hit. John Jaso and Gregory Polanco are the only two lefties projected to start as positional players for Pittsburgh.

A season after getting a late start due to a knee ailment, McCutchen is already working out at the Pirates' spring training complex. "I'm ready to go, as opposed to last year," McCutchen told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. That's why I've been here working out."

EDGE Analysis

"Baseball's back, and I'm looking forward to it," McCutchen said. "My knee's great, my body's great. I won't have to worry about that at all. I'm motivated in the sense that I didn't do ... physically, I wasn't where I needed to be at the beginning of the season." The Pittsburgh center fielder looks to improve upon his recent early-season performance. He's struggled in April, posting a .246/.343/.428 split from 2013 to 2015.

McCutchen has had a "normal" offseason, saying he feels "100 percent healthy, has been working out regularly and has no (surgical) procedures planned," the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen played through knee pain for much of 2015, even taking games off in spring training. The center fielder batted .185/.280/.293 in his first 107 plate appearances before turning in a typical campaign at the plate. He finished with just 11 steals, however, the lowest number in his career -- and it remains to be seen whether that drop off is permanent at age 29.

McCutchen went 3-for-5 with his 23rd homer Friday against the Reds.

EDGE Analysis

The dinger was his first since Sept. 10 and the RBI was his first in 12 games. Cutch finished September with an unusual .237/.405/.340 slash line as opponents pitched around the center fielder. It's possible Pittsburgh rests him Sunday if the team clinches home field advantage for the Wild Card on Saturday.

McCutchen has four hits in his last 25 at-bats and has walked 16 times in his last nine games.

EDGE Analysis

Opponents are pitching more carefully than ever to McCutchen, who has only two RBI in his last 13 games. He did steal his fourth base in 14 contests Monday after totaling seven steals during the first five-plus months of 2015.

McCutchen went 0-for-2 with three walks in Pittsburgh's 9-3 win over Colorado on Tuesday.

EDGE Analysis

In a showing of respect, opponents have issued eight walks to McCutchen in the last three games. The center fielder also stole his 10th base of the season Monday, giving him three swipes in his last seven tilts. He's 4-for-12 with a homer and three RBI for his career versus Tuesday starter Chris Rusin.

McCutchen went 1-for-1 with a career-tying four walks Sunday against the Dodgers.

EDGE Analysis

The perennial MVP candidate has recorded 95 RBI (one fewer than his career high), giving him a good shot at reaching the 100-RBI mark. He also has stolen two bases in his last six starts and needs one more to reach double digits.

McCutchen went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and two RBI in a 3-2 win over the Dodgers on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

McCutchen was seeing the ball well tonight out of Kershaw's hands, as his first out was a stinger to the right fielder. In his second at-bat he hit the ball in almost an identical fashion, but was rewarded with a double. This is why he is an annual MVP candidate and he's making a case yet again for the coveted award. The only down statistic for McCutchen this year are the steals, as he has just nine, which is half of his previous career-low.

McCutchen is out of the lineup Thursday, the Pittsburgh Tribune's Rob Biertempfel reports.

EDGE Analysis

The star center fielder's average dipped below .300 after he struck out four times in Wednesday's game. A game that bad for a player of McCutchen's caliber is pretty rare, so manager Clint Hurdle obviously felt he needed to give him the day off. Starling Marte shifts to center field with Travis Snider starting in left.